Dental cavities are product of poor oral hygiene and poor eating habits. When the sugar left from the food eaten combines with the bacteria residing in the plaques in your teeth, they produce acid that will wear down your tooth’s enamel, thus making them prone for cavities. In order to manage these cavities, dental fillings are used to fill the holes caused by the regular exposure to acid produced by bacteria in your mouth.

Dental fillings are one of the many restorative treatments to repair the damage caused by dental cavities and bring back the tooth’s natural form and function. There are different types of dental fillings based from the material from which they are made. You have to discuss with your dentist which type of fillings best suits your needs. Different types of fillings are:

• Metal-based fillings. These fillings are either made from gold or silver. They are known to be the most durable type of fillings but are not aesthetically pleasing to the eye because of their color. Gold fillings are preferred over silver because they do not contract or shrink overtime and they do not discolor teeth. Gold fillings are the most expensive type of fillings while silver fillings are the cheapest.
• Porcelain fillings. They are the preferred choice of fillings because they are able to imitate the appearance of your natural teeth. Porcelain fillings are commonly used in the front teeth because of its color. They are also preferred because they are resistant to staining.
• Composite fillings. Like porcelain fillings, they are able to imitate the natural appearance of your teeth. Composite fillings are preferred because they chemically bond to your tooth structure thus sparing your teeth from being reshaped further to accommodate a filling.